Holiday Outdoor decor time!

While it was a decent winter day recently, Denny, put up his Holiday Light display on our home.  It used to be bigger but he has given into a bit of downsizing these days with less ladder climbing, etc.

So, I also took  advantage of the nice weather and did "my thing" for outdoor décor for the holidays!

This year I decided to do "the sled thing" being I found a nice red sled already for the bling at a neighborhood "garage sale" for only $10.   Just could not resist the bargain!

I think I like the change of pace result!

I did add some little white lights for some evening glitter!

And then I added a matching swag beside the garage door where the light and house number are.

Today I decided it was "close enough" to put out..... but lights won't be turned on until Friday evening!  I like to focus on Turkey Day before Christmas!

Winter Porch Pot Time!

Tis that time of the year when garden centers are stocked with winter greens and encouraging us to change our fall focus containers into winter themes!  Yep, those mums and pumpkins
are definitely finding their way to the compost sites!

I received this picture this morning from a friend who was with me the other day exploring where to find a good selection of mixed greens!   With freezing temps in our forecast she wanted to get those greens settled into the potting soil asap!

After the holidays it won't take much to convert this into a "winter theme" for the next few months!  All Rita needs to do is take out the holiday glitter accents and maybe add a little more white or red branches to accent the red cardinal, berries and pine cones!

This creation really helps put me into the "mood" to do mine!   Denny sprayed our yews as well as my assortment of greens with a winter protective spray, while temps were above freezing yesterday, so I am ready to create now!  Thank you, Denny!  ,

For those of you who have been asking me if I was OK because I haven't been updating this blog much recently....  thank you for letting me know you have missed my posts!  I am just fine!  I think  I just ran into a time period that I needed a "break"!  

Feeling a bit sad.....

When I went out to help my perennials get ready for their long winter's nap that is coming.....

I found it difficult to cut back flowers that are still blooming!   Last week  I found daisies and climatis smiling at me yet!

How about adding color to a shade garden area?

Hosta companion flowers to plant with hostas in the shade areas!

How's this for color in the shade?

This was taken at the patio tiered garden at the Mayo Clinic Rochester in early October!  Below street level!

Surprised at Shades of Green Hosta Society meeting!

I was awarded a "Certificate of Appreciation" as a thank you for the dedication and participation in supporting events since our organization was formed! 

WOW!  As a Charter Member I've enjoyed the many events and meetings we've had!  It's not been work....it's been fun and rewarding.  Most of all I enjoy the many new friends who have come into my life because of my involvement!  My favorite activity is our annual fundraiser "Hosta Sale".   

Now to figure out how to spend the $50 Visa Gift Card that came with the honor!  Then my name was drawn for a door prize and I ended up with a beautiful folding yard wagon!  What an evening!

What an honor to have Cindy Tomashek present this to me.

She is the founder of our organization!

Bringing houseplants inside that have been outdoors.....

The season is here where outdoor temps are dropping and becoming not so comfy for our indoor plants that have been enjoying the summer outdoor weather!  

Time for me to prepare my fairy gardens for the Minnesota weather we are transitioning into!

First I need to select any fairy gardens that are OK for indoor living.   The one pictured below I planted with all indoor plants while I was in AZ in January.  It spent a few months (March, April and part of May) indoors in MN but enjoyed our MN spring, summer and early fall outdoors!  It is in such good shape that I think I should enjoy it indoors for awhile.  I think there is sufficient light in the living room by my big window which faces south!

So, I need to be sure I'm not bringing in any little critters that may have been living with the fairies out there as well as doing a bit of pruning.  I'll be parking it in a big plastic bag and then spraying it with a good insecticide and closing it up for a few days before I bring it inside.  That works for me!

Do you have some plants or planters outdoors that you'd like to enjoy indoors for awhile or the winter?

I found the below link with great tips on how to bring those plants indoors that I want to share with you.

Tips for moving plants indoors from outdoors CLICK HERE

Drying Hydrangea blooms...

So many varieties of hydrangea's out there providing months of beauty to enjoy!  It's easy to dry those blooms to enjoy all winter inside!  

Here's an example of "Quick Fire" variety, thanks to my gardening friend, Rita!

Early in the season

Later in the season

Bouquet inside drying!

 How to Dry Hydrangea blooms     Click here

Veteran's Memorial Rochester MN

This fall we stopped by our Veteran's Memorial to locate the paver with Denny's name on it!  Years ago our garden club designed, planted and now maintains the garden located there!  It is at it's peak color during the fall season!  We have two teams of volunteers, one for a morning crew and one for an evening crew which alternate Monday's for maintenance duty!

A new tiered design this year...

Thanks to my Denny and his magic fingers and dremel tool, he was able to do the cut out on this large clay pot so I could experiment with this style of garden.

It was an learning experience this year and I'm anxious for another attempt next year!  It did hold together and was easy to water and the plants grew very well!

Tea time with a fairy....

She is ready to share her birthday cake with some coke!

This has a new variety of a tree with white blossoms that I discovered this spring!  It has been growing very nicely and I'm anxious to see if it winters over OK.

This way to the fairies....

Most of my fairy gardens this summer

Most of my fairy gardens are grown in a part sun part shade environment, which seems to work well.  I have several that need mostly shade, which are grown under the roof of my open porch area which faces this grouping.   If serious damaging weather is in the forecast I do move most of these under a bit of shelter.  

Iris in July!

Yes, this is a stunning clump of iris in July!  

Often grown mainly for the decorative foliage, this variety is also extremely beautiful when the medium blue-lavender  flowers are blooming in June!   

It was a stunning sight!  When I noticed this clump from a distance I just had to get closer to identify the plant!  I have this at home so should have identified it immediately when I saw it growing next to a stream.  I'm just not used to seeing it growing in a clump as a specimen plant! 

Iris ‘Pallida Variegata’

How about a grouping of containers of plants?

A visit to Bonnie's home during the summer is always a treat!

She has such good eye for color groupings of plants.  This one is sitting on her porch!  The porch bonus is they are protected from damaging weather elements so always look so fresh and healthy!

Cheerful garage door!

Found this adorable service door on a garage while on a recent garden tour (of course)!  Couldn't help but smile and take a picture!

Color scheme for your home and garden...

On a recent garden tour we saw this lovely home and garden with the same color scheme that was so cheerful and welcoming!  How fun to discover the homeowner was a visit with a childhood neighbor!  

Hammered Bronze.......

And then I found a can of  "Hammered Bronze" spray paint!  I had purchased a metal patio set at my neighbor's 'Moving Sale' and it needed freshening up.   WOW!  It is absolutely beautiful!  I can't wait to show it to her!  My $25 purchase is now priceless!

Bronze, the new look in yard art!

My weathered metal yard art became a bit more rusty looking than I liked.  Thanks to Bonnie  for sharing  that she had seen some "Bronze" spray paint used for adding a new touch to yard art!  Love it!  Still subtle but classy looking among those hostas!

Painted Lady....

The Painted Lady Butterflies are flitting all over blossoms right now!

This was taken today while we were deadheading roses at the Rose Garden our garden club plants and maintains at our local college Horticulture Department Gardens!

Miniature Fairy Gardens

This year I expanded to making smaller fairy gardens, which turned out to be lots of fun!

Not only are they charming, they tuck here and there so easily!

 

Flower arranging by a team!

What fun, we had a new activity at our garden club's annual Plant Swap this year! 

They set up 7 teams to make 7 floral arrangements!  It was a great "mixer" and provided some nice door prizes!

Gardeners are great cooks so our pot luck supper was awesome and the swap provided some new plants to add to our garden beds!   Our theme this year was "Color My World" and there was color abundant among us! 

A roof of flowers!

Look what I found!

Yep, I yelled STOP! So, he did and I got the  pics!  We were just heading home after our Friday Night supper near the lake!

County Fair Time!

Flower arranging at our county fair!  

Our garden club, The Rochester Garden & Flower Club, provides lots of fun with a floral arranging workshop and flower show each year!  We provide the flowers, help in floral design as well as the judges and ribbons to all fairgoers free!  It is fun to see the kids and adults of all generations experiencing this fun time every year!

Coneflowers aren't just purple any more!

I found these while strolling in the Linnaeus Arboretum located at the Gustavus College in St. Peter, MN!

They are in the Butterfly Garden feature there!  Yes, butterflies were abundant also!

Art in the garden!

How fun is this!   What a special experience Barb had when her gardens were featured on our annual garden club garden tour this year!

Having your garden on a garden tour AND also an artist painting a picture of one of your garden beds while gardeners strolled among them!

Kenyon's Rose Trees...

We took an alternate route home from the lake last week and drove thru the small town of Kenyon, MN.

Their famous Tree Roses were in bloom!  Such a lovely sight and accomplishment in a small town with dedicated gardeners to tend to these special plants!

There are 4-5 blocks of beauty that require special care of MN winter protection to keep them coming back each year!  Yes, they get buried in the late fall and then uncovered in the spring and resettled in their upright position to awaken once again to bloom another year!

Click here to learn about their Rose Festival this weekend!

How to liven up the exterior of a garage!

Wow!  

This is also in the colorful backyard you saw on the previous post!

My two favorite annuals, alyssum and Angel Wing Begonias!

How's this for color in the back yard?

Recently on a garden tour, we stepped into a back yard and were stopped in our tracks by the color that greeted us!  Absolutely stunning!

"Everything is coming up roses!"

One of our garden club's community projects is a Rose Garden in our local college Horticulture Dept. gardens.  This is a series of demonstration gardens featuring plants and designs reflecting the student's learning opportunities.

Recently we have been updating this garden to feature shrub roses and companion plants that are easy to grow and maintain in our SE Minnesota environment.  All plants are marked so visitors can identify them if they see one that they'd like to add to their own gardens.  

It's been a fun way to network and get acquainted with other garden club members when we do our bi monthly "get together" to garden together in this rosy atmosphere!